Some songs feel like they were written not for the stage, but for a fireside — soft, unhurried, and filled with the warmth of home. “When Winter Comes” is one of those songs, a gentle gift from Paul McCartney that feels less like a performance and more like a page from his personal diary.
Accompanied only by acoustic guitar, Paul’s voice carries the weight of years yet retains its unmistakable tenderness. He sings about simple things — mending fences, feeding animals, preparing for the cold — but every line carries a deeper resonance. Beneath the pastoral images lies a meditation on life’s cycles, responsibility, and the love that endures through changing seasons.
What makes the song so moving is its humility. It doesn’t try to dazzle with production or grandeur. Instead, it reminds us that the heart of living is found in the small, ordinary acts of care — for the land, for family, for one another. Paul turns these everyday images into poetry, showing that meaning is often hidden in the simplest of tasks.
There’s also a quiet sense of farewell in the song. Winter, in his hands, becomes a metaphor for time passing, for the later chapters of life. Yet, instead of sadness, the mood is peaceful, as if he’s teaching us to embrace each season with gratitude.
“When Winter Comes” feels like Paul sitting down beside us, offering a story, a memory, and a gentle reminder: life’s beauty doesn’t only live in the spotlight — it’s in the small, steady moments that carry us through.
Because when winter comes,
Love is the fire that keeps us warm.